First Section: Return to the Past

In the darkness, someone spoke.

"It's really cold, huh? Huh? There's a child here."

"Oh, they're wearing decent clothes. Doesn't look like a beggar. How did they faint here?"

A patting and prodding.

"Number Seven, what are you doing? You're not a pedophile, are you?"

"Regardless, Number Seven, look at this child's bones. They're not bad. We need to find someone anyway. Instead of letting them waste away here, why not just take them back?"

More patting and prodding.

"They're a bit lacking, but it's fine to take them back. They look like they're about to starve to death. Pick them up and let's go."

"Okay."

What did that mean?

What did that mean?

What did they mean by that...

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

His senses, honed over a long period, immediately fixated on the gun handle at the man's waist. As the man leaned down, his hand shot out, snatching the gun.

Instantly, all three froze.

The child lying on the ground clutched the pistol tightly. The man who had leaned down instinctively raised his hands, while another man in black instinctively reached for his own weapon. The killing intent that erupted in that moment made them think they had walked into an ambush. However, in the next second, the two men exchanged surprised glances and a disbelieving smile.

It was because the child lying on the ground was too young, and looked so frail. The safety on the gun wasn't disengaged, and even his finger struggled to reach the trigger.

"Oh, Number Nine, your first record of losing a gun is with this kid, haha."

"Still... such sharp reflexes, like a wild beast. They must feel very insecure. We've found a treasure."

"Hey, kid, that's not how you hold a gun..."

Before Number Seven could finish speaking, a sharp glint flashed in the child's eyes. The moment his finger disengaged the safety, the gun fired.

With a "bang—", the bullet pierced through Number Nine's chest, and blood splattered from his back. The recoil of the gun sent the child's hands flailing backward. Number Seven had already reflexively drawn his weapon, but as he aimed at the child, he still felt a sense of disbelief.

It couldn't be this child. Who is ambushing us...

This thought caused a brief hesitation. Then, gunshots rang out simultaneously. A bloody hole opened in Number Seven's forehead, and he fell backward. The child, however, was hit in the right shoulder, blood immediately soaking half his body. Trembling in the pool of blood, the child actually struggled to get up.

He was shot in the same place as before, but this time... why did it hurt so much...

However, the pain wasn't the biggest problem he faced. The biggest problem was where he was, and...

"Good hand..."

Looking at his left hand, which was holding the gun, he murmured. This was clearly the hand of a child. Moreover, his height had clearly become that of a dwarf.

The night wind blew, exceptionally cold. Glancing around, he saw he was on a street in a rather backward town, with incredibly old-fashioned buildings and dim streetlights. He felt his body's energy gradually draining. In such a fragile body, he would likely die soon...

A scene from before flashed in his mind, remembering what the Fire Phoenix had said: "Then you will have the chance for freedom."

The chance for freedom...

Many things were unclear now. In the distance, the wail of police sirens grew louder. Habitually, he wiped the fingerprints off the gun and placed it back in Number Nine's hand. Clutching his shoulder, he walked a few steps before the entire world began to spin...

***************************************************

In a daze, he recalled.

In fact, his memories of himself began from the age of ten, because Peiluojia started training assassins from the age of ten. Before that, he had no recollection or clues.

Later, he naturally learned that every child brought in by Peiluojia had their past memories wiped clean. If this brainwashing technique had been reversed at the time, some memories might have been salvaged. However, for him, who knew the truth, it was meaningless. It only strengthened his resolve to rebel.

Starting from the age of ten, he watched various animals kill each other every day, while also being taught the basic knowledge of an assassin. Then, starting with knives, he engaged in life-or-death struggles and eliminations with animals, followed by competition among themselves. He was never the most outstanding one, but it was a miracle that he survived. Of course, perhaps his fate to rebel in the future was sealed then, because his heart had never been at peace.

He hadn't revisited that memory for a long time, but at this moment, it surfaced clearly: in the darkness, the struggling girl, her slightly puffy face...

"Please, don't kill me, please, don't kill me..."

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

He instinctively reached for his waist, and his right hand immediately felt a sharp pain. Then, he extended his left hand and looked at it again and again.

"I've really become a child..."

Reaching for his waist, the scar he had left there out of momentary soft-heartedness was gone. It was the first time he had killed in his life, and the first time he had been injured, and now, even that scar was gone.

He looked around. This was a rather old-fashioned hospital room to him. It was approaching evening. Looking out the window, the sunset was a fiery red, and everything in sight consisted of old buildings. On the white wall not far away, there was a calendar that was torn daily. The paper was still new: November 3, 1991.

He wasn't too surprised, just frowned, then a faint smile appeared. Moments later, the smile gradually widened. He closed his lips, and his whole body trembled with laughter.

Freedom, new life...

At this moment, he truly felt it.

Recalling now, his earliest memory was also in November 1991, when he had just begun his training at Peiluojia. The two people named Number Seven and Number Nine that night should have been the ones who sent him to Peiluojia's assassins. It was just that in his previous life, he had known nothing. In this life, his premature awakening had changed everything.

His shoulder was still bandaged, and a dull pain emanated from it, but for him now, these were nothing. He tried to open the cabinet next to the hospital bed, attempting to find something to confirm his current identity. However, it only contained two sets of clothes, a thermos food container, and a few fruits. After thinking for a moment, he climbed to the foot of the bed. As expected, a patient information card was hanging there.

Gu Jiaming.

A perfectly ordinary name. A smile curved his lips.

But no matter what, he finally had his own name, and a faint sense of warmth welled up in his heart. As he was lost in his melancholy, the hospital room door creaked open. Walking in was a girl carrying a schoolbag, her hair in two braids, with a delicate face, and she was quite cute.

"Ah? Jiaming, you're awake?" The girl rushed to the bedside with a smile upon seeing him, setting down her schoolbag. He instinctively wrapped the blanket around his body. Then the girl reached out to touch him. Fortunately, she just gently touched the bandage. "Does it still hurt? Is it better? Oh, wait a moment, I'll go call the nurse auntie."

As she spoke, she ran out of the room like the wind. The child on the bed smiled faintly, his gaze falling on the girl's large schoolbag.

Four large characters were sewn on it with red thread: Red Star School.

Below that were three characters, which must have been the girl's name: Ye Lingjing.